‘Cro Cop’ sparring partner arrested for armed robbery

It’s been a rough couple of years for Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipović. First he fell from MMA grace with an abysmal stint in the UFC, then Alistair Overeem unloads on him with groin strikes at DREAM 6 and now his sparring partner got arrested for armed robbery.

Zagreb based mixed martial arts coach and a serial armed robber Mirko Borkovic, best known for being Mirko Cro Cop’s sparring partner, was arrested yesterday afternoon.

Borkovic was processed through a Zagreb police station and is charged with the armed robbery of 25 betting agencies in Zagreb. A total of 250,000 Croatian Kuna is thought to have been stolen in the crime spree. Borkovic chose to remain silent for the hearing. He is currently detained in custody.

Borkovic was a promising kick boxing prospect and multiple amateur kick boxing champion. He successfully participated at the International Military Games in 1999. Filipovic’s hailed Borkovic as a rising star and future K-1 participant.

Police suggest that Matanic was desperate for money in order repay loans he had borrowed to finance his cocaine addiction.

Borkovic was arrested in 2003 and was sentenced to one year and three months imprisonment for possession and intent to sell cocaine. Borkovic claimed that he did not intended to sell the drugs but only use them for his personal use. He claimed he used the cocaine as a kind of performance enhancing drug that helped him in competition.

Only a month earlier Cro Cop was forced to deny having spared with Robert Matanic a local crime figure and suspect in the murder of Ivo Pukanica. In a interview with Nova TV, Cro Cop disassociated himself from Matanic claiming not to ever have met or spared with Matanic.

*Thanks to a translation by Robert at Betwwx, check them out for the latest UFC odds.

Well, it was the sparring partner and not the fighter. So not too much bad rap on MMA. But the drug charges? This stuff could give MMA a black eye. I do see how Cro-Cop was dropped from UFC. This stuff gives all MMA a bad rap (like Boxing got). people like Dana White try and build MMA up the right way, then this stuff hits the news!

This sort of thing happens in every sport, so I don’t think it’s going to lead to MMA’s downfall or anything. –Jared

Isn’t he, or at least wasn’t Cro Cop a police officer in the past and currently holds some political position in Croatia? His affiliations with bad dudes aren’t looking good not only for his MMA career but his career after wards as well.

Yup. He was in the Croatian Parliament and now he is on the anti-terrorism squad. That’s a great point you make about this reflecting poorly on Cro Cop in more ways than one. –Jared

Just a clarification about the original article. Cro Cop is a very professional fighter and upstanding individual. He doesn’t associate with these types of characters and has never been accused of any wrong doing in the Croatian press.

He’s a big celebrity in Croatia and to train in or spar with him would be a huge honor to any young fighter. Over the years he has trained with a few hundred fighters from all over the world, you cant blame him for the actions of one individual.

Cro Cop has clarified that he has never trained with Robert Matanic in an interview with Nova TV. That turned out be a false report by the Croatian press.

To answer Phillip’s inquiry, the rematch between Cro Cop and Overeem at DREAM.7 will not take place, according to articles posted today on both NOKAUT.com and MMA-ID websites. The only statement is that DREAM.7 could not schedule this bout but no explanation as to why is provided. However, Cro Cop has invited Overeem to his gym in Zagreb, Croatia, to settle the score in a fight involving no pay that will be judged impartially and televised worldwide via NOVAtv. Cro Cop has offered to pay all expenses incurred by Overeem and members of his team should he accept this challenge.